{"id":2220,"date":"2020-01-16T05:33:59","date_gmt":"2020-01-16T11:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishpoliticalguide.com\/?page_id=2220"},"modified":"2022-02-22T12:32:12","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T17:32:12","slug":"a-candidates-handbook","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ajcongress.org\/jewishpoliticalguide\/a-candidates-handbook\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover aligncenter has-background-dim-100 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#0138b7\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"685\" height=\"280\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-2221\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewishpoliticalguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/handbook.png\" style=\"object-position:0% 0%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"0% 0%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ajcongress.org\/jewishpoliticalguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/handbook.png 685w, https:\/\/ajcongress.org\/jewishpoliticalguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/handbook-300x123.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\"><strong>How to Answer Biased Questions About Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>It is often the case that candidates for higher office are asked questions on the campaign trail that are designed to bait them into saying things they may regret. The purpose of this handbook is to provide tools and resources for any candidate running for office on how to best respond to biased questions about Israel. The following suggested answers and information in this handbook aim to be as objective as possible, with all information being based on facts<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Security Assistance to Israel<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Q: <\/em><\/strong><em>Is\nAmerican security assistance to Israel overblown, unnecessary, or \u201cspecial\ntreatment?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>A: <\/em><\/strong>No.\nAmerica has long provided security assistance to its allies, and the security\nthreats Israel faces are unlike any others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Further\ndetails: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The U.S. does not provide defense aid\nto Israel out of some impulse to altruism or charity; it does so because\nIsrael\u2019s defense and safety give direct benefit to U.S. national security, and\nthat is not conditional. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Israel is a strategic ally and pivotal\nbalancer against regional hegemon Iran and its state-sponsored terror, in\nparticular, State Department-designated terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>On the ground, the program breeds close defense cooperation that greatly improves U.S. military effectiveness in the Middle East, ranging from joint military exercises to the development of missile defense technology, as well as the sharing of vital intelligence and counterterrorism tactics, cyber security technology, and battlefield medicine. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Security assistance to Israel is also highly integrated with the American economy, with 75% of it ultimately going back into U.S. jobs and businesses.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Israeli &#8211; Arabs Rights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Q<\/em><\/strong><em>: Is Israel an apartheid state?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A<\/strong>: No. Despite it being a \u201cJewish and democratic\nstate\u201d, the Arab minority in Israel enjoys equal rights and protections under\nthe law. The treatment of Arabs by the State of Israel cannot be compared in\nany way to the treatment of the black majority in South Africa under apartheid.\nThere is no Israeli ideology, policy or plan to segregate, persecute or\nmistreat the Arab population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Further details:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Arabs are\nwell-represented in Israel\u2019s democratically elected parliament. Minorities in\nother countries in the Middle East are not usually afforded such rights.&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is common that\nat least one Supreme Court seat is filled by an Israeli- Arab justice.&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Apartheid was a uniquely repressive system, through which South Africa\u2019s white minority enforced its domination over the black and other non-white racial groups. No such laws exist in Israel. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. West Bank and Gaza<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Q:<\/em><\/strong><em> Is the West\nBank an &#8220;occupied&#8221; territory?<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> No. Israel captured the West Bank in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mfa.gov.il\/MFA\/AboutIsrael\/History\/Pages\/The%20Six-Day%20War%20-%20June%201967.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1967<\/a>&nbsp;in a\nwar of self-defense. Since 1967, the Palestinians have rejected every Israeli\noverture, missing opportunity after opportunity to peacefully resolve the\ndispute through negotiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Further details:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>As long as the\nfuture status of the West Bank is subject to negotiation, Israel&#8217;s claim to\nthis&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mfa.gov.il\/MFA\/MFA-Archive\/2003\/Pages\/DISPUTED%20TERRITORIES-%20Forgotten%20Facts%20About%20the%20We.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disputed territory<\/a>&nbsp;is\nno less valid than that of the Palestinians.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Under\ninternational law, true occupation occurs only in territories that have been\ntaken from a recognized sovereign, and the Palestinian authority is not. The\nlast recognized sovereign of the West Bank and Gaza was the Ottoman Empire,\nwhich ceased to exist following the First World War.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>As the West Bank\nhad no prior legitimate sovereign, under international law these areas cannot\nbe considered as &#8220;occupied&#8221; Arab or Palestinian lands, and their most\naccurate description would be that of \u201cdisputed\u201d territories.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Israel withdrew\nfrom the Gaza Strip completely in 2005. The area was taken over by the Hamas, a\nU.S State Department-designated terrorist group in 2007. Today Hamas brutally\noppresses women, political opponents, Christians, and other minorities. The\nstrict security policy including checkpoints, security barrier and more, is to\nensure the safety and security of Israelis from terrorist activities. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A major part of the funding designated to the Palestinian people has been shifted to a corrupted Palestinian leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Human Rights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Q<\/em><\/strong><em>: Do you think Israel meets international\nstandards of human rights?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A<\/strong>: Yes. Israel is a vibrant democracy that\nrespects the rule of law and has a strong judiciary which upholds the rights of\nall citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Further details:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Israel\u2019s\n&#8220;Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty\u201d ensures the protection of civil and\nhuman rights for all. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org\/establishment-of-the-state-of-israel-2\">Israel&#8217;s Declaration of Independence<\/a> is another legal source that guarantees\nfreedom of religion and conscience, and equality of social and political rights\nirrespective of religion.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Israel allows\nPalestinian residents of the West Bank to appeal to the Israeli courts to seek\nlegal remedies.&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Religious Freedom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q<\/strong>: <em>Why can&#8217;t Israel accept other religions?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A<\/strong>: It does. Israel\u2019s laws, Court rulings, and\nliberal democratic values protect the freedoms of conscience, faith, religion,\nand worship, regardless of an individual\u2019s religious affiliation. Christians,\nMuslims, Jews and others are free to practice their religion in Jerusalem and\nall other places in Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Further details:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Although Israel\ndescribes itself as a Jewish state, all religious groups have freedom to\npractice and maintain communal institutions in Israel. According to the 2009 U.S.\nDepartment of State report, &#8220;The Israeli Basic Law on Human Dignity and\nLiberty provides for freedom of worship and the Government generally respected\nthis right in practice.&#8221;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org\/establishment-of-the-state-of-israel-2\">Israel&#8217;s Declaration of Independence<\/a>, promulgated in 1948, is another legal source\nthat guarantees freedom of religion and conscience, and equality of social and\npolitical rights irrespective of religion.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Holy sites in the\ncity of&nbsp;Jerusalem&nbsp;are open to worshipers of all religions. Israeli\nauthorities ensure the safety of all worshipers in this volatile setting. It is\nan offense under Israeli law to cause damage to any place of worship or to any\nobject sacred to any religion with the intention of affronting the religion of\nany class of persons.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6. LGBTQ Rights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q<\/strong><em>: Why does Israel treat the LGBTQ community as\nsecond-class citizens?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A<\/strong>: It does not. Israel\u2019s LGBTQ persons enjoy all\nprotections under the law. There is more work to be done, but Israeli culture\nembraces gay rights as an element of basic human rights, something that is\ncertainly not a given in the Middle East, making Israel the outlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Further\ndetails: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Members of the\nLGBTQ community are an integral part of society who serve in the IDF, the\nKnesset, and the Government. The LGBTQ community in Israel is thriving.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In Israel, it is\n&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/LGBT_rights_in_Israel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation<\/a>&nbsp;in employment, partner benefits, and the\narmy service.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Israel is the\nonly country in the Middle East where you can be openly gay and not be afraid\nfor your life.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Supreme Court\nof Israel has ruled that same sex married couple can register as such in\nofficial state records.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Every year\nseveral cities in Israel hold LGBTQ Pride parades. The Tel Aviv Pride is the\nlargest, with over 250,000 participants from all around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>7. Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Q:<\/em><\/strong><em> Is BDS is an apolitical movement aimed only\nat&nbsp;making Israel comply with international law?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> No. One of the aims of the Boycott,\nDivestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS Movement) is the delegitimization of\nIsrael as a Jewish State, which is a fundamentally anti-Semitic position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Further details:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>One of the\nleaders of the BDS movement, Omar Barghouti, has said that he opposes \u201ca Jewish\nstate in any part of Palestine.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>By focusing\nsolely on Israel\u2019s alleged abuses, BDS ignores countless other worse human\nrights abusers around the world.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>By including in\nits stated goals protecting the right of Palestinian refugees to return to\nhomes they lived in prior to Israel\u2019s establishment \u2014 something Israel\nconsiders an existential threat to its Jewish character \u2014 the movement is\neffectively calling for the end of the Jewish state.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>U.S. House Resolution\n246 passed in July 2019, officially opposes the Global Boycott, Divestment, and\nSanctions Movement (BDS Movement) targeting Israel. It includes \u201copposing\nefforts to target United States companies that are engaged in commercial\nactivities that are legal under United States law, and all efforts to\ndelegitimize the State of Israel;\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>8. Jerusalem<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q:<\/strong> <em>Does\nPresident Trump\u2019s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital deny the\nPalestinians of the right to call Jerusalem the Capital of Palestine?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong>\nNot at all. Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital does not have any\nbearing on the identity of the future Palestinian Capital. This will be up to\nthe two sides to negotiate in a peace agreement.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Further\ninformation:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In 1995, the U.S.\nCongress passed the <em>Jerusalem Embassy Act<\/em>\nrequiring America to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Proponents\nsaid the U.S. should respect Israel&#8217;s choice of Jerusalem as its capital and\nrecognize it as such.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Jerusalem has\nbeen the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years and the capital of Israel\nfor over 70 years. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Moving the\nembassy is an important step forward towards peace, for there is no peace that\ndoes not include Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Israel has\ndeclared numerous times that it remains committed to the status quo in the holy\nsites.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Jerusalem served\nas the Jewish people&#8217;s historic capital since King David made it so in 1004\nBCE. Jerusalem remained the capital until its destruction by the hands of the\nRomans in 70 CE and the subsequent loss of Jewish independence.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is often the case that candidates for higher office are asked questions on the campaign trail that are designed to bait them into saying things they may regret. The purpose of this handbook is to provide tools and resources for any candidate running for office on how to best respond to biased questions about&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/ajcongress.org\/jewishpoliticalguide\/a-candidates-handbook\/\" class=\"more-link\">more <span class=\"sr-only screen-reader-text\"><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[184,229,227,170,220,228,226,224,175,221,222,223],"class_list":["post-2220","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-2020-presidential-race","tag-anti-semitism","tag-arabs","tag-bds","tag-bias","tag-boycotts","tag-gaza","tag-human-rights","tag-israel","tag-jerusalem","tag-lgbtq","tag-religious-freedom"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v14.4.1 - 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